As more and more media reports come in about truckers protesting High
Fuel Prices and Toll Highways, I want to make sure that my voice as a
taxpayer and Canadian citizen is heard. I believe it is about time that
we started to be a little more consistent in government policies. In a
time of reduced government spending, and work to get people off government
assistance, this should equally apply to the trucking industry.

The Trucking industry is already one of the most highly government
subsidized industries. We have governments (primary provincial and
municipal) paying for more and more highways with the vast majority of the
wear-and-tear the responsibility of the trucking industry. We have many
aspects of the full costs of fossil fuels hidden from consumers and not at
all reflected at the pumps, hidden by various subsidies to the fossil fuel
industry. Those who claim (Such as the Ontario Trucking Association) that
fuel taxes are too high are wanting us to ignore these real costs.

I feel for the drivers who feel that they can not make a living in the
current climate, but the actions they are taking so far are not valid
ones. Rather than lobbying the government for increased subsidies they
should be lobbying the trucking industry itself to increase their wages
and negotiate agreements that include more of their costs in what they are
paid. CRASH (Canadians for Responsible and Safe Highways) even indicates
an improvement in "the pay for truck drivers and independent truckers
would also improve road safety by reducing the pressure on truckers to
speed and work too many hours."

There is a call for trying to put a cap on gas prices. I for one would
rather see the government remove their subsidization of this industry, and
instead put energies into trying to convert people to more efficient forms
of transporting goods such as rail, and to otherwise reduce their energy
wastage. Global trade seems to assume nonsense when it comes to the actual
cost of transporting goods : the cost is not zero both in terms of public
health and safety as well as in terms of financial costs, and governments
should not be subsidizing the transportation industries in order to hide
this fact. Governments have already signed on to International agreements
such as Kyoto which demand this reduction, and it seems irresponsible to
continue to subsidize parts of the economy which governments have a
responsibility to reduce.